Today I want to introduce you to Angela as the person I’d like to highlight in the series “Stronger Together“.
Angela is someone I’ve known for awhile from the Facebook page and her journey has really inspired me a lot.
Angela has responded to a series of questions that more or less correspond to the steps I’ve taken in my own journey as outlined in the “How to Lose 100 Pounds” book series.
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1. YOUR Journey and Plan for Weight Loss Success: Please tell us a little bit about your own journey with weight loss and getting healthy?
I am a married, mother of 3 girls ages 14, 9, and 7. They are great. I have been pretty much unhappy with my body ever since I became a teenager. I was 19 when I had my oldest daughter and from there I just kept on gaining weight. I used to say “I weigh 3 kids later”.
I’ve joined a few gyms over the years and just never stuck with it. Have even paid for memberships monthly to never go. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks being overweight is uncomfortable, annoying, frustrating, and even embarrassing. Well, I am all of that. I found a new gym just down the road that had a good special and in January 2012 thought I would give it a try. I also started working with a trainer once a week.
2. Finding the Motivation: What is your big WHY for losing weight and getting healthy? How do you stay motivated?
My big WHY for losing weight is that I’m not getting any younger. My knees have hurt for a long time and also my back has always bothered me. I would never go to the doctor because I know what they would say. Lose weight. I was always embarrassed. Finding clothes was embarrassing. Only being able to go to certain stores was frustrating.
I stayed motivated once I started seeing results. I joined the biggest loser competition at the gym I go to. That started in May of 2012. By then I had lost 37lbs with just working with a trainer and working out by myself. The competition was 90 days long so I started working out with my trainer 3 times a week. I said to myself that I would win the competition the whole way through.
It of course, was very hard. It was definitely very trying. My husband wasn’t always supportive. Can you say insecure and jealous? But, I just ignored it. Three weeks before the finale I got kidney stones bad. I even had to do the surgery. That crushed me because I had a competition to win. I made it through that. I still worked out when I could. Then the finale came and of course I won!
In 3 months I lost 53.5 lbs for a 21% loss. In total, after 7 months I had lost 90 lbs in all. Accountability is key. We have to hold ourselves accountable and I thought the competition would help me with that.
3. Goals and Planning: Are you setting goals for yourself? Please share with us where you are at with your own goal setting and any tips that you might have for this planning process.
Right now, another biggest loser competition has started. It is 60 days long. The finale is November 28. My suggestion is no matter what, don’t get discouraged, don’t quit. If you, fail one day there is always the next day and pick yourself back up. Set yourself an attainable and measurable goal. Revisit your goal every couple weeks to evaluate it.
4. Eating for Weight Loss: Are you following a specific diet or food plan? Any tips for how you deal with challenges in this area?
My gym provides a meal plan with signing up with a trainer. With that it has helped me to learn how to eat healthy. I mostly eat a clean, low carb, high protein, very little salt diet.
Ultimately, it is still up to me to follow it. I completely quit drinking pop right after I started changing my ways. I do have a hard time every so often with “cheating” and I feel if I do that I ruined everything.
5. Exercise for Weight Loss: Do you have an exercise plan currently? Please share your own exercise plan and any tips that you think could be useful for others.
Well, I work with a trainer twice a week and try to do any available classes on the other days. A typical workout consists of 5 minute cardio warm-up, then about 25 minutes of strength training, then 30 minutes cardio.
6. Getting Back on Track (after a gain or just starting out): What words of advice do you have for others who may be struggling to forgive past attempts at weight loss or for those who are just trying to get started? Is there anything else you would like to share?
The biggest advice I could give to people is know that losing weight doesn’t happen overnight. It isn’t easy but it is possible. I can say from experience, that I’m sure most can say, that there is going to be bumps in the road. The only thing you can do is dust yourself off and keep at it.
I’ve enjoyed talking with Paula on FB here. It is always refreshing to talk to people that are going through the same things. We are human.
Angela
P.S. As an update – since Angela wrote this for me, she posted this on FB Oct. 22:
>>>I have now broken the 100lb mark! With a total of 101.5lbs lost in 9 months! This is crazy!
SO awesome Angela! 🙂
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A note from Paula…
A BIG thank you to Angela for taking the time to share her journey with us all AND I hope that this will help to inspire you as you set off on your own journey to get healthy and fit.
My hope is that you would comment below with words of encouragement for Angela and also share a bit of your own “story” with us all.
Much love,
~ Paula
P.S. Please join us at the Facebook page – I’d love to “meet” you! 🙂
Huge Congratulations on breaking that 100 lb mark! That’s a HUGE accomplishment. You’re setting a great example for your girls. Keep up the good work!
Dart, thanks for the comment of support to Angela! 🙂 So happy to have “met” you on the Facebook page!
Awesome job keep up the great work. And good luck as you continue with your lifes journey.